Court reject bail plea of SA in Advocate General J&K’s office arrested in alleged fake recruitment scam
JKUT (Jammu), October-30-2021-( JNF):- Special Judge Anticorruption Srinagar rejected the bail plea of Mohammad Yaqoob Bhat Senior Assistant in Advocate General Officer was arrested by the Crime Branch in alleged fake recruitment scam.
The FIR has been registered after receipt of a communication from Z. A. Dewani, (Administrative Officer, Office of the Advocate General, J&K) alleging therein that fake orders bearing No’s 76 AG of 2021 and 79 AG of 2021 dated 13.07.2021 are being circulated on social media showing the selection of 33 persons as Jr. Assistants and other 33 persons as Orderlies, however, no such orders have been issued by the office of the Advocate General, J&K.
Accordingly an enquiry was initiated at Crime Branch Kashmir and during the probe, it came to fore that some touts have conspired with Mohammad Yaqoob Bhat, (Sr. Assistant) posted in the office of the Learned Advocate General, J&K who have lured the candidates on the fake promise of providing jobs. “During probe it also surfaced that some beneficiaries have transferred huge amount of money in the account maintained in the name of Mohammad Yaqoob Bhat.
Special Judge Anticorruption Srinagar CL Bavoria after hearing both the sides observed that it reveals from the police report that two fake recruitment orders bearing No. 76-G of 2021 & 79-AG of 2021 dated 13.07.2021 purportedly issued by the office of Advocate General, have been uploaded on social media regarding direct recruitment quota of 66 candidates as Jr. Assistant and orderlies. These candidates have credited a huge amount into the account No. SB-360 of accused to get recruited against these posts and have sent their testimonials on whatsapp number 9697000121 of accused. The petitioner/accused in capacity of Sr. Assistant Administrative Section Advocate General Office, Srinagar has abused his official position, hatched criminal conspiracy along with other officials is alleged to have lured gullible candidates to pay illegal gratification into his account on the pretext of providing them government jobs and the C.D. File confirms the police report and it further reflects from its perusal that in the investigation the account statement w.e.f 01.12.2020 to 05.04.2021 operation in the name of Mst. Ruqiya Bano, watch & Ward women’s AG’s office Srinagar has been perused and it transpires that a huge amount has been credited into her account by various candidates and subsequently transferred the amount to account no. SB-360 of accused Mohammad Yaqoob Bhat on number of dates. Besides the statement of some candidates have been recorded in the investigation which also reveals that the candidates have paid an amount of Rs. 3 to 4 lacs each into the account on the pretext to get jobs in the office of the Advocate General, J&K Srinagar through the said fake orders. The investigation of the case is at infancy and the involvement of the other official and individual is being looked into.
Court further observed that the allegations against the petitioner as laid above are serious in nature. The offence involved in the case is of socio-economic offences. The accused ex-facie appears to have abusing his position as public servant lured gullible candidates to pay illegal gratification into his account on the pretext of providing them government jobs. From the evidence collected in the investigation till date has revealed that the various transaction of money transferred have been made into the salary account no. SB-360 of the accused petitioner namely Mohammad Yaqoob Bhat from various accounts from time to time in the period December 2020 to April 2021 and out of the huge amount involved, an amount to the tune of Rs.33 lacs has been substantiated so far in the investigation.
While rejecting the bail application, Court observed that it is not right stage to grant bail in favour of the petitioner as the investigation in the case is still in its infancy, the other accused who conspired with the petitioner to defraud the innocent candidates are still at large and the investigation qua the role played by other officials who were part of the criminal conspiracy with the petitioner is going on. The concession of bail in favour of petitioner at this stage shall undoubtedly prejudice and obstruct the further course of investigation as material witnesses being influenced with, and in the circumstances the possibility of the petitioner tampering with the evidence and hampering the investigation cannot be ruled out if he is released on bail. JNF